I love homemade Christmas gifts.
Crochet an afghan, knit me a scarf, make a cutting board, assemble a soup mix in a Mason jar, bake some cookies or scribble a pencil drawing on a napkin for me, and I’ll be in love with your gift forever. You’ve got style, and you know it. Nobody’s gift will be exactly like yours–and it won’t get regifted.
That’s how I feel about these sweet little nuggets of golden goodness.
That sea of homemade baklava is an annual endeavor by good friends of mine. They’ve been making these sweet and blissful little blessings for years and know that I will be sad and suffer greatly if they leave me off the Friends of Baklava list. I. LOVE. IT.
This is the BEST baklava in the entire world, better than any I’ve had from a restaurant or Greek deli. Buttery and slightly redolent of cinnamon, the phyllo pastry filled with plentiful and crunchy nuts crumbles deliciously, sticking to the honey that has oozed onto your fingers. This baklava is THE BOMB.
The big batches of baklava started when my friend Kat-Woman wanted to make some money as a teen. She had no idea she was creating a lifelong holiday tradition when she learned how to make this Greek pastry and drummed up demand among friends and family, folks who still clamor for their annual allotment. Kat-Woman’s able and gracious Mom has been a partner in the baklava biz all along, and now her sons help. Believe me, you can taste the love.
I can’t wrestle the recipe out of them, because it’s a secret. That’s ok with me, though, as long as I get my fix every year. 😉 If I ever DO get the recipe, I’ll share it with you here.
Homemade gifts are the BEST. What are some of your favorite homemade presents?
